Following the US example: Followers of ex-President Bolsonaro storm the congress building in Brazil
Created: 2023-01-08 20:33
By: Nail Akkoyun
Supporters of Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro on the Esplanada dos Ministerios in Brasilia.
© Evaristo Sa/AFP
Followers of right-wing ex-President Bolsonaro have overcome barriers at the congress in Brasilia.
The police are on site.
Brasilia - Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have stormed the congress in the capital Brasilia.
They smashed the windows of the facade and entered the entrance hall, as reported on
Globo
TV on Sunday (8 January) .
Hundreds of supporters of right-wing extremist Bolsonaro had tried to storm Congress for several minutes.
They entered Parliament's grounds and got onto the roof of the building, as seen on television footage.
The police used pepper spray.
"I condemn these anti-democratic acts that urgently need to be punished with the harshness of the law," Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco wrote on Twitter.
Bolsonaro followers storm the congress building: memories of Washington are awakened
In addition to the Senate, the Congress building also houses the House of Representatives.
The images brought back memories of the storming of the US Capitol in Washington almost exactly two years ago - Bolsonaro had repeatedly been referred to as "Tropical Trump" in recent years and is considered an admirer of the former US President.
Jair Bolsonaro lost to left-wing politician Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the runoff last October and left office at the turn of the year.
He never explicitly acknowledged his defeat.
After the election, radical supporters of the ex-military protested against Lula's victory and called on the country's armed forces to stage a military coup.
(nak with dpa)
